It has been half a year since I last posted on this blog--sorry! Life has been a little crazy over the last several months, but all in a good way! As you most likely know, I left California at the beginning of June and am now in Pennsylvania! God actually worked the whole trip out, and I was able to caravan with brother and sister-in-law from Southern California to Kansas. That was one of the highlights of the last several years, as I got to spend enough time with my niece and nephew for them to get to know me (on the flip side of that, my nephew now "really, really misses" me--break. my. heart!) We also stopped at the grand canyon and the meteor crater in Arizona. Once in Kansas, my wonderful brother did some work on my car and I took off to Missouri on my own. My mom joined me from there and helped me settle into my new home in southeast Pennsylvania. That's the month of June in a nutshell. July 1 was the start of internship and I am oh so blessed. I absolutely love everything about my internship site, and am so thankful to be here! Anyway, here is a glimpse on what I've learned and/or am working on now:
Food: Just before I left California I went to a natural nutritionist and got tested for allergies. I was shocked to find out that I am NOT allergic to gluten! Unfortunately, I had worse results for eggs, dairy, oats and sugar. At that time, my diet consisted of a whole lot of oatmeal and yogurt, so that's been a big change. On a more positive note, I learned that many people with lactose intolerance can drink raw milk with no problems (milk naturally contains lactase, which breaks down lactose, but lactase is killed during the pasteurization process). I was elated to find a raw milk farmer who makes bi-weekly deliveries to my town, so I can once again have dairy! Trying to avoid those four things in food, I made the decision to start eating gluten again. However, after a few weeks I realized I didn't feel so great after eating it so now, while I don't consider myself gluten-free, I eat very limited gluten-containing foods. I've learned that I feel best when I follow a primal diet (Paleo w/ raw milk).
Faith: God is so absolutely faithful. If I had to share what I've learned about faith in the last year, that statement would cover it. He has come through in the big things and small, from making it across the country to finding new friends who share my faith. It has been a somewhat painful process looking for a new home church, as I am no longer a three-hour drive from the best church in the world . But I have at least found a church that shares my values, and my old pastor will even be here in a few weeks to speak at a conference. I started reading Dreaming With God by Bill Johnson and that is awakening in me desires that God put in my heart long ago. I'm also reading Powerful and Free by Danny Silk, which is a much needed voice championing the position of women in the church. All in all, God is teaching me a lot and I am walking in freedom like never before.
Freud: My internship specializes in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is about as far as you can get from Freud without leaving the field of psychology, but this blog has never been a fan of Freud, only the F in his name! I am so thankful for the education I am getting from my supervisors and the experience I am getting from my clients. The work can be extremely stressful (think 3 suicidal teenagers and a child abuse report in 2 weeks) but it is really worth it. On top of that, my supervisors are extremely supportive and are really invested in my growth as a clinician. I think CBT is the type of therapy that God uses, because it is basically described in Romans 12:2: "...be transformed by the renewing of your mind...." CBT is about changing inaccurate thoughts, or "renewing your mind." It's a great fit for me!
Well, that's the last six months of my life in a nutshell... now that I'm settled down here in PA hopefully more posts will be coming soon! Thanks for reading!
